When Johnny Came Marching Home (41 page)

 

* * *

 

The figure watched the trail that the two detectives entered. He stood in the shadows, his back to a line of trees, and he knew he was invisible, or as close to invisible as a person could be. Just one of many shadows in the preserve, blending into his surroundings like he had planned, into the foliage, the earth itself; completely unnoticed by anyone who could pose a threat. It was the way it had to be. He had become a lone branch on the spreading boughs of a large oak, a part of the whole, indistinguishable from all the rest. There for anyone to see and yet invisible. He fought off a smile. They would never find him unless he made a mistake, and he was much too smart to let that happen.

By now the detectives would have reached her body. And they would know. They would
know
who it was; know who had been made to answer for her sins. The small smile began to return but was quickly forced away. The dead woman was not the only one who had to wear a mask. Masks were necessary right now, very necessary. Another smile began to form but it, too, was driven away. Patience was also necessary. Just wait and watch. That is all you can do now. Wait, watch, and take pleasure in the fruits of your labor. But don't let anyone see your pleasure. And soon you will be able to do even more.

 

 

End of Excerpt

More about THE DEAD DETECTIVE

The Dead Detective
is available in hardcover from our website and online and brick & mortar bookstores everywhere, and as an eBook at eVendors around the world. For more information visit
our website.

 

 

Praise for
The Dead Detective

 

“
The Dead Detective
is a meaty story that offers an intriguing and conflicted protagonist, a darkly fascinating victim, solid police procedural detail, a knowing look at the Tampa Bay area and its politics, an unlikely murderer, and a creepy denouement that hints that Harry [protagonist] will be back.”
—Booklist

 

"In his first new novel in seven years, Edgar Award winner Heffernan (
Tarnished Blue
) delivers a readable, tidy police procedural that echoes any number of popular television series, from
The Mentalist
to
Criminal Minds
, whose many fans will find this series debut enjoyable."
—Library Journal

 

"After a lengthy hiatus, Edgar-winner Heffernan
(A Time Gone By
, 2003, etc.) makes a welcome return. […] Tough, troubled Harry Doyle will keep readers in line."
—Kirkus Reviews

 

"Heffernan has a classic lean, tough-guy style and effectively combines tense drama with the nuts-and-bolts details of investigation. And he knows the territory, from Tarpon Springs to Tampa."
—St. Petersburg Times

 

"We have a feeling that Heffernan is setting us up for more dead detective novels, which we welcome like the zealots we are."
—Time Out Chicago

 

"William Heffernan is one of the finest craftsmen in mystery fiction. The publication of a new Heffernan novel is an event worth cheering, and the
The Dead Detective
is no exception. A mystery treat. A literary treat." —John Lutz, author of
Night Kills

 

“
The Dead Detective
breathes new life into the classic police drama. Jam-packed with strong characters and a powerful plot, this is as fine a book of its genre as I've read in decades.” —Reed Farrel Coleman, three-time Shamus Award–winning author of
Innocent Monster

 

"William Heffernan has written some crime fiction classics, and this much-anticipated return delivers a promising new protagonist, a plot with all the heat of its Florida Gulf Coast setting, and a finale that settles with beautiful, gentle menace.
The Dead Detective
is a veteran pro proving that he has much more to offer. Heffernan writes in a way that challenges the mind and the soul." —Michael Koryta, author of
The Silent Hour

 

HARRY DOYLE WAS MURDERED as a ten-year-old child and brought back to life by two Tampa cops. Twenty years later he has dedicated his life to putting killers behind bars as a homicide detective who has the unwanted ability to hear the postmortem whispers of murder victims. Dubbed "The Dead Detective" by his fellow cops, Doyle now faces his most difficult case—a beautiful murder victim who was a notorious child molester. It is a case that will shake Harry to his very core.

About William Heffernan

 

William Heffernan, a three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, is the author of eighteen novels, including such best sellers as
The Corsican, The Dinosaur Club
(a
New York Times
best seller),
The Dead Detective,
and
Tarnished Blue
(winner of an Edgar Award). Heffernan lives outside of St. Petersburg, Florida. His novels
Beulah Hill, Cityside,
and
A Time Gone By
are also available from Akasahic.

About Akashic Books

 

 

___________________

 

 

Akashic Books is an award-winning independent company dedicated to publishing urban literary fiction and political nonfiction by authors who are either ignored by the mainstream, or who have no interest in working within the ever-consolidating ranks of the major corporate publishers. Akashic Books hosts additional imprints, including the Akashic Noir Series, the Akashic Drug Chronicles Series, the Akashic Urban Surreal Series, Punk Planet Books, Dennis Cooper's Little House on the Bowery Series, Open Lens, Chris Abani's Black Goat Poetry Series, and AkashiClassics: Renegade Reprint Series.

Our books are available from our website and at online and brick & mortar bookstores everywhere. 

 

 

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